MX2014000167A - Animal feed mechanism. - Google Patents

Abstract

An animal feed mechanism includes agitators powered via transmission means associated with conveyors having a rotatable shaft. Each conveyor may include each conveyor's rotatable shaft driven by its own separate motor. Thus, the shafts may be powered for separate rotation or concurrent rotations. In some examples, a transmission coupling the shafts to the two agitators conveys power to rotate both agitators regardless of whether either one or both rotatable shafts are operating.

Description

ANIMAL FEEDING MECHANISM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains generally to animal feeding systems and more specifically to an animal feeding mechanism for handling and transporting particulate food material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Historically, many breeds of cattle were fed grain or mixed grains. Over time, additives were added in the form of nutritional and pharmaceutical materials with the grains. Frequently, the grains were crushed or otherwise reduced in size to create a more uniform and fluid mixture. The mixtures were stored in a tray or other container, and shoveled inside the feeding devices for access by the animals that were to be fed.

As time passed, the animals ranged from the provision of meat and other products for their owners to the provision for sale by their owners and, eventually, the animals were produced and then sold to other entities for a variety of uses or to be made in a number of products. As the number of animals handled by a producer increased REF. 245912 simple, the means for storage and feeding were developed. Among the first developments were those that included a portion of storage placed above the feeding stations, where the food in the storage portion moved by means of combination of gravity and open space as the animals consumed the food from the feeding stations. This same general arrangement is still used. However, as the number of animals handled by a single producer increased, so did the arrangement and the variety of equipment related to the feeding of those animals.

Animal production now includes producers who handle hundreds of animals housed in a variety of structures. This has become a science; the administration, monitoring and tracking of the type, proportion and amount of food consumed, along with any specific nutritional or pharmaceutical additives for each of the hundreds or even thousands of animals, is becoming a more and more common issue. For some types of livestock and / or breeding material, such meticulous maintenance of records is required by regulation; for almost all animal production, having this type of information allows the producer to carefully monitor resources and increase production efficiency.

As mentioned, the tracking of this type of data requires specialized equipment. Some of this equipment is aimed at the centralization of certain tasks either for the purposes of uniformity and record keeping, or for the purpose of reducing and standardizing the human efforts required; or for the purpose of increasing efficiencies in the process. For that purpose, a number of mechanisms related to food have been considered. Specifically, for confinements or large structures in which a large number of animals are housed, mechanisms for distributing food to feeders in the individual or group housings within the building or structure have been created and implemented with varying levels of success . Many include drill bits enclosed in housings and some of these combinations of augers / augers must be able to move the feed through curves and inclines. A number of these operate by using the central food storage area as a tray or trays together with the means to transport the food to the feeders. In some arrangements, the tray or trays may be centrally placed to a number of different structures to distribute the food or feeders within these structures; in other arrangements, the tray may be adjacent to or located in a structure in fluent communication with the feeders in that structure only. There are permutations of these arrangements.

The food that is provided to the animals has also changed over time. These changes are in response to new information and data as well as market demands. Grinding is still the most common method of processing food for pigs and other certain animals. The particle size reduction of the grains is known to increase the surface area of the grain, allowing greater interaction with the digestive enzymes, and improving the efficiency of the food. Smaller particles also improve ease of handling and mixing characteristics. But as with all things, there can be a lot of one good thing: fine grinding will increase the energy costs of food processing and can result in food clogging in feeders and bulk trays, increasing the formation of dust and the potential for gastric ulcers. Therefore, the increased processing costs of fine materials must be displaced by the resulting improved feed conversion.

The levels of moisture in the food, the temperature, the fat content, and other factors can also affect the flowability of the food. As an example, in recent years, in an effort to increase the efficiency of the food without displacing its costs negatively, some producers have begun to use additives such as dehydrated grains of distillers that are a by-product of the production of ethanol and high desirable content. However, these additives are "sticky" with moisture and / or fat content and under certain conditions or mixed in certain proportions, they can increase the clogging of the food in the storage trays when they are being unloaded.

Currently, hoppers and powered spindle conveyors are used to distribute the feed from the tray or food storage container to the feeder mechanisms located in the housings of the animals. Such feeding systems, however, have been known to be problematic and require periodic maintenance and attention in order to keep the food flowing and the systems operating. These problems result in time for maintenance and for repairs that, in turn, cause the animals to be without food until the problem is remedied. The industry is thus highly dependent on the diet regime that even a few hours can make a difference. The flow capacity inside the tray or storage container and the food as it leaves the tray continues to be problematic despite the various developments designed to face the problem. By way of example, products such as the Flow Hammer by Automated Production Systems are attached to the outside of a food storage tray and distribute high impact, low frequency blows to the tray in an effort to reduce or eliminate the clogging Other products vibrate the tray at a much higher frequency. In addition, at the lower end of most trays a hopper is placed which is generally typically similar to an inverted cone; Beneath the hopper is a sheath through which the grain flows and falls into the spindle system to be moved into the feeding devices in the animal housings. Many power systems are automatically triggered by sensors related to the power levels in the feeders in the housings, or they can be activated by a synchronized program, or some combination of the above. In any case, the idea is to have a system that is automated and dependent as much as possible to provide uniform feeding without unplanned disturbances, and with as little human intervention as possible. These characteristics create an efficient system from the point of view of food supply to animals and from a cost savings point of view related to the movement of animals to the end and the reduction of human intervention needs.

What was necessary was a device to increase the dependence of the flow of food to the housings of the animals and to do so by destroying lumps or balls of food formed due to moisture, temperature, or food content in the animal. store or another tray or during the unloading process, as well as reduce the clogging of the food inside the tray during the unloading process.

A first objective of the present invention is to increase the efficiency and functionality in the discharge of food from the storage trays; A second objective of the present invention is to reduce the negative effects of the formation of lumps or balls of food that disturb the flow of food from the tray; A third objective of the present invention is to reduce the clogging of the food in the storage tray during the discharge process.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated from the following description. The description refers to the appended figures, which are provided for the illustration of the preferred embodiment. However, such an embodiment does not represent the direct scope of the invention.

The matter of interest that the inventor does not consider as his invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims upon termination of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1-1 of Figure 6 and shows an example of an animal feeding mechanism.

Figure 2 is a top view of the animal feeding mechanism installed in an exemplary barn.

Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view, similar to Figure 1, but showing more elements associated with the exemplary animal feeding mechanism.

Figure 5 is a top view in cross section, taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end view showing one end of the exemplary feeding mechanism.

Figure 7 is an end view showing another end of the exemplary feeding mechanism.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional top view similar to Figure 5, but showing another example of an animal feeding mechanism.

Figure 9 is a side view in cross section, similar to Figure 4, but showing the exemplary feeding mechanism of Figure 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figures 1-7 show an animal feeding mechanism 10, exemplary with a novel means for breaking lumps or balls 12 of food particles 14 (e.g., grain, granules, corn, cereal, DDG's, moisture, pellets, etc.) that tend to collect or otherwise crowd in an area above a valve 16 in the feeding mechanism 10. Although the feeding mechanism 10 can be used in the feeding of a wide variety of animals in various environments , some examples of feeding mechanism 10 are particularly suitable for distributing food 14 to a plurality of trays 18 for feeding pigs 20 in a barn 22.

Some examples of prior art mechanisms comprise a relatively large hopper 24 for receiving food 14 from a food supplier typically comprising a housing such as a storage tower 18 (the hopper may be integral with or separate from the tray), and a funnel 26 for receiving the food 14 from the hopper 24 that transfers the food 14 to a housing that encloses a spindle or other means of transportation, to be transferred to the trays of feeding. The feeding mechanism 10 of the present invention differs from the prior art. The feeding mechanism 10 (see Figure 1) comprises at least one rotating stirrer 28 in funnel 26 for breaking lumps 12, a housing 30 below funnel 26 for receiving food 14 from funnel 26, valve 16 for adjusting the feed flowing from the funnel 26 to the housing 30, at least one means for transportation which can include any conveyor that can be operated via rotational energy such as, but not limited to, a spindle conveyor 32 for transporting the feed 14 from the housing 30 to the trays 18 (see Figure 3), and a means for transmitting the energy (transmission medium) 34 to energize the rotation of the agitator 28 via the rotational energy of the means for transportation 32. The term, "transmission" means any apparatus for transferring the rotational energy from one rotating element to another, such means being more particularly defined herein.

Some examples of transportation means such as a screw conveyor 32 and the associated hardware as shown in Figures 1 and 4 include a feed tube 36 connected to the housing 30, a flexible auger 38 extending through the tube. feed 36 and towards housing 30 to push the food 14 outwardly from within the housing 30 and through the feed tube 36, an engine 40 with a gearbox 42 of speed reduction and an output shaft 44 for rotating the auger 38 (i.e., the motor 40 imparts rotational energy to the drill bit 38), a fastener 46 for connecting a proximal end 48 of the drill 38 to the output shaft 44, an axis 50 (also referred to as a conveyor shaft 50) for supporting a distal end 52 of the drill 38, a tubular shaft extension 54 for supporting the bit 38 within the bit housing 30, a fastener 56 for coupling the distal end 52 of the bit to the shaft 50 and / or the shaft extension 54, one or more bearings 58 (for example , rolling element bearing, articulated bearing, bushing, etc.) to support the shaft 50 relative to the housing 30 of the auger, and one or more tubular taps 60 (See Figure 3) extending from the feed tube 36 for distribute the food 14 towards the trays 18. For the illustrated example, the feed mechanism 10 includes two spindle conveyors 32 which are substantially the same in structures and in function in the transfer of the feed 14 from the housing 30 to the trays 18, however, the feeding mechanism 10 is not restricted for use with double auger mechanisms but can be employed with single or multiple auger systems or with any other transportation systems that employ or can be operated through rotational energy.

To selectively stop or restrict the flow of food 14 from funnel 26 to housing 30, a valve 16 can define an adjustable restriction 62 with an open area that is varied. An adjustment means may comprise adjusting (manually or otherwise) one or more valve plates 64 on the restriction 62. Where an adjustable restriction 62 is employed with the movable valve plates 64, the arrow 66 represents the adjustment valve. 16 by the sliding plate (s) 64 horizontally along a plate guide feature 68. In some examples, the valve 16 is part of an auger housing 30. In other examples, the valve 16 is its own component installed between the auger housing 30 and the funnel 26. In other additional embodiments, the adjustable restriction 62 can be adjusted by means of hydraulically energized valve mechanisms of many types.

The opening 16 is generally placed towards the bottom of the funnel 26 such that the opening through the valve 16 is much smaller than the opening between the funnel 26 and the hopper 24. This arrangement results in a substantial flow restriction in the valve 16 downstream of the upper funnel 26, so that lumps 12 or agglomerations of food particles 14 tend to be hung in the area just above the valve 16. If the lumps 12 are allowed to accumulate, the flow of the particulate material 14 is reduced and may sooner or later stop completely. Thus, as the particulate matter 14 flows through the funnel 26, one or more agitators 28 are rotated to break up any lumps 12 that may be present in the food stream 14 from the funnel. The agitator 28 is generally placed above or within the valve or opening 16 and, although these may be present in many shapes and spacing arrangements and in different numbers, the agitator 28 comprises an axis 72 and a plurality of protrusions 74 in general radial. In some examples, for ease of maintenance and installation, each agitator 28 further comprises a sleeve 70 coupled to the shaft 72 (also referred to as the agitator shaft 72) to which a plurality of generally radial protuberances 74 may be attached or associated therewith. In some examples, the sleeve 70 is removably attached to the shaft 72 to facilitate installation and removal of the agitator 28 relative to the funnel 26. The installation, for example, can be achieved first by aligning the sleeve 70 with the holes 76 in the funnel 26 and subsequently inserting the shaft 72 axially through the holes 76 and the sleeve 70. After the shaft 72 has been inserted through the sleeve 70 and the holes 76, a suitable, common fastening means (for example, an adjusting screw, another type of screw, roller pivot, a safety pin 78, pin, key, groove, clamp, etc.) firmly holds the sleeve 70 to the shaft 72, so that the two rotate as a unit. Two brackets 80 and a set of bearings 82 (eg, rolling element bearings, articulated bearing, bushing, etc.) support shaft 72 within funnel 26. The plurality of radial protuberances 74 may include protuberances of uniform size and shape, and of varying size and shape, and may extend to a common angle from the axis 72 (or the sleeve 70) or at varying angles. The protuberances 74 may be integral with the shaft 72 or the sleeve 70 or may be removable for ease of replacement, if necessary.

After rotation of the shaft 72 the plurality of radial protuberances 74 are also rotated. When the lumps 12 are included in the feed stream 14, the protrusions 74 break the lumps 12. To further assist in the breaking of the lumps 12, some examples of feeding mechanism 10 include a dough body 83 placed inside the funnel 26. wherein the radial protuberances 74 of the rotating agitator 28 can strike and urge the body 83 in a generally unrestricted manner (eg, a body of free rotation) through the food particles 14 in the funnel 26.

As the body 83 is struck around and bounces inside the funnel 26, the body 83 can strike and break the lumps 12. The body examples 83 can be of various shapes including, but not limited to, spherical with a smooth outer surface, in general spherical with an outer surface dimpled or otherwise rough, multi-faceted, hollow with holes around its outer periphery, etc. The body examples 83 may be made of various materials including, but not limited to, metal, steel, iron, brass, stainless steel, cast iron, plastic, various combinations thereof, etc. In some examples, the massive body 83 is of sufficient size to prevent the body 83 from completely bypassing the agitator 28 and subsequently passing through the restrictor 62 to enter the auger housing 30.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, to energize the rotation of the agitator or the plurality of agitators 28 via the rotational energy of one or both of the screw conveyors 2, some transmission examples 34 comprise two drive wheels 84 (for example, example, sprocket wheel, caster, sprocket, etc.) coupled to two conveyor shafts 50, two drive wheels 86 (eg, sprocket, caster, sprocket, etc.) engaged or otherwise solidly associated with the two Agitator shafts 72, and a flexible drive circuit 88 (for example, rotating chain, V-band, toothed belt, etc.) interconnecting wheels 84 and 86.

In some applications, the motors 40 are selectively energized to transport the food 14 only to certain selected trays 18 via a spindle conveyor 32 and / or via another spindle conveyor 32. In other words, any motor 40 can be energized alone, or it can be energized concurrently with other or other various motors 40. However, it is recommended that all agitators 28 be in operation notwithstanding the number of spindle conveyors 32 and motors 40 in operation. Therefore, to ensure that the plurality of agitators 28 are operating regardless of the number of motors 40 energized, each wheel 84 is coupled to its corresponding axis 50 via a roller clutch 90, such as a roller clutch 90 and a drill bit. 38 share a common rotational axis 91, and another roller clutch 90 and another auger 38 share another common rotational axis 91, wherein the rotational axes 91 are radially spaced from one another. The term, "roller clutch" refers to any device that controls the coupling between an axle and a wheel mounted thereon, such that when the axle rotates in one direction, the device forces the wheel to rotate with the axle, thereby that the wheel and shaft rotate together as a unit, but when the shaft rotates more Slowly the other or the rotation stops, the device allows the wheel to rotate freely by itself without requiring the shaft to rotate with it. In other words, a roller clutch can only transmit significant torque in one direction of rotation while allowing free rolling or overdrive in the opposite direction or in loss of speed. Alternative terms used for a roller clutch or comparable devices thereof include a unidirectional clutch, freewheel, rotational ratchet wheel, clutch bearing, and recoil sear.

In some examples, the roller clutch 90 includes an external Timken RCB 121616 flap (e.g., item 90a) attached to the drive wheel 84. In some examples, the roller clutch 90 also includes an internal Timpken needle support chute. IR 081216 (for example, item 90b) attached to the conveyor shaft 50 (fixed, for example, via item 90b which is axially clamped between a collar 92 and a screw / washer 94). The Timpken Company has its general offices in Canton, Ohio.

The operation of an exemplary transmission 34 is perhaps best understood with reference to Figures 6 and 7, wherein Figure 7 shows the feed tubes 36 extending from a first end 30a of the auger housing 30, and Figure 6 shows the transmission 34 in proximity to a second end 30b of the auger housing 30. Figure 6 also shows an optional idler wheel 96 for picking up a possible clearance in the drive circuit 88. In this example, each roller clutch 90 forces its drive wheel 84 corresponding to __cjir with a corresponding conveyor shaft 50 when the conveyor shaft 50 rotates in a first direction, for example, counter-clockwise, as observed from the perspective shown in Figure 6 (ie, observed in the figure sheet). Each roller clutch 90 also allows the freewheeling relative rotation between its corresponding drive wheel 84 and its respective conveyor shaft 50 when the drive wheel 84 is forced to rotate slower or faster relative to its corresponding conveyor shaft 50. The installed orientation of the roller clutches 90 and the above-mentioned exemplary counter-clockwise direction, resulting, is chosen based on the auger of auger 38 to the right or to the left.

Accordingly, in this example, if only one motor 40 is energized (any of them), that motor 40 will drive the rotation of its corresponding bit 38 and the conveyor shaft 50, which in turn will rotate the four wheels 84 and 86 via the drive circuit 88, and will thereby rotate the agitators 28; nevertheless, a clutch of roller 90 will allow the freewheeling of the drive wheel 84 which is associated with the inactive auger 38 connected to the de-energized motor 40, although the agitators 28 will still rotate. The energization of both motors 40 rotates both bores 38 and both agitators 28.

Although the effective construction of the animal feeding mechanism 10 can vary, in some examples, the hopper 24 and the auger housing 30 are comprised of laminated metal while the funnel 26 is comprised of plastic. The hopper 24 is much larger than the funnel 26, so that the hopper 24 is suitable for retaining and storing a large amount of food 14. The funnel 26, on the other hand, is designed to channel the food 14 from the hopper 24 to housing 30 of the auger. Accordingly, the funnel 26 is designed to be much smaller than the hopper 24, which makes the funnel 26 easily producible via injection molding with plastic. The funnel 26 which is made of plastic also provides a cut or interruption in the electrical continuity between the two metallic components, the hopper 24 and the auger housing 30. Such a cut or interruption in electrical continuity may be beneficial in the appearance of potential electrical problems, for example, lightning and / or electrostatic sparks / ignition. The placement of the agitator 28 within a plastic housing (i.e., the funnel 26) instead of being inside a metal housing, such as inside the hopper 24 or inside the auger housing 30, may provide additional benefits. If the agitator 28, for example, were inside a metal sheet housing, the noise generated by the agitator 28 can be amplified by the metal sheet in a manner perhaps similar to a violin string transmitting its vibration to the box or body of a violin. Plastic, on the other hand, can be more effective in dampening the noise generated by the agitator 28.

In some examples, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, a feeding mechanism 10 'for animals further comprises a second hopper 241 for receiving food 14, a second funnel 26' spaced from the first funnel 26 to receive feed 14 from the second hopper 24 ', a second funnel 28' placed inside the second funnel 26 ', a second auger housing 30' positioned below the second funnel 26 'to receive the feed 14 from the second funnel 26', and at least one drive shaft 98 which couples the first agitator 28 in the first funnel 26 to the second funnel 28 'in the second funnel 26'. The drive shaft 98 causes rotation of the agitator 28 in the first funnel 26 to rotate the agitator 28 'in the second funnel 26', thus only one transmission 34 is used to drive the agitators 28 and 28 'in two separate funnels 26 and 26 '. In this illustrated example, both bores 38 extend through both bore housings 30 and 30 '.

The animal feeding mechanism is designed for simple and easy installation. This is mounted outside of the usual elements of a helical system, that is, if the existing system includes a hopper 24 and a funnel, then the openings 76 can be drilled in the funnel 26. The sleeve 70 can be inserted through the funnel 26 and the shaft 72 can be threaded through the first openings 76, through the sleeve 70, and then through the second opening 76 whereby a stirrer 28 is created. An end of the shaft 72 can be secured via the bracket 80 and the bearings 82, and on the opposite end by the bracket 80 and the bearings 82 and a plate comprising a connecting wheel 86. It is repeated for the additional axes 72 and the sleeves 70. The flexible driving circuit 88 is then wrapped on the connecting wheel 86 for each of the shaker shafts 72. On the second end 30b of the auger housing 30 each auger shaft 50 is associated with one of the connecting wheels 84 (which may be a wheel Katherine ). The flexible drive circuit 88 is then designed on the connecting wheels 84 and inside the idler wheel 96, if present. After the actuation of the auger shaft (s) 50, the circuit of flexible drive rotates with the shaft causing the connecting wheels 86 to rotate, causing in turn that or the agitators 28 to rotate and reduce the number and / or size of the lumps 12, if present. In this way, little or no disassembly of the previous system is necessary, so that the installation can be completed by a single person in one hour, or by two people in a much shorter time.

The reduction of the lumps 12 by the agitators does more than simply improve the flow of the feed. The use of the present invention results in a more uniform feed flow and the presence of agitators provides vibrational movement to the flowing feed stream and to the sleeve. The combination of the lump reduction, the uniform feed flow, and the vibrational patterns established by the agitators measurably reduce the clogging of the feed in the upper portions of the food supplier / storage tray.

Thus, the present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It should be understood that the terminology that has been employed is intended to be in the nature of the words of description rather than limitation.

Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings.

For example, it is very within the scope of the invention to add protections around various moving parts including, but not limited to, drive shaft 98, transmission 34, etc. It is well within the scope of the invention to add gaskets, seals and / or shields whenever necessary. The number of agitators, the spacing and the shape of the plurality of protuberances on the agitator, the size of the sleeve, the method of installation and the connections, and the materials from which any of the parts are made, may have effective alternative modalities within the scope of this invention. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than specifically described.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (20)

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property:

1. An animal feed mechanism for handling food, characterized in that it comprises: a first hopper to receive a stream of animal feed; a first generally funnel shaped housing for receiving at least a portion of the feed stream from the first hopper; a first housing and first means for transportation, placed on a first rotating shaft at least partially inside the housing and placed generally downstream of the first hopper; the means for providing energy for the rotation of the rotating shaft; the means for transmitting energy associated with at least one of the first generally funnel-shaped and the first housing, the means for transmitting energy additionally coupled to a first stirrer placed downstream of the first hopper, and the transfer of the rotational energy from the first rotary axis towards the first agitator.

2. The feeding mechanism of animals of according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for transmitting the energy includes a first roller clutch coupled to the first rotating shaft.

3. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that it also comprises: a second funnel placed downstream of the first hopper; a second means for transportation having a second rotary axis; a second roller clutch coupled to the second rotary axis, the second roller clutch and the second rotary axis are positioned along a second rotational axis that is radially spaced from the first rotational axis.

4. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the first housing comprises two ends of opposite faces including a first end and a second end, and further comprising a second means for transportation having a second rotating shaft , wherein the means for transmitting the energy comprises a first drive wheel associated with the first rotating shaft, a second drive wheel associated with the second rotating shaft, and at least one driven wheel associated with at least one of the first agitator and a second agitator, wherein the first drive wheel, and the second drive wheel, and at least one driven wheel are each associated with a driving circuit.

5. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the first agitator comprises a first agitator shaft, a first sleeve positioned on the first agitator shaft, and a first plurality of radial protuberances extending from the first sleeve. .

6. The feeding mechanism of animals according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for transportation comprises one selected from the group consisting of an auger and a conveyor belt.

7. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that furthermore the means for transmitting energy comprises at least one roller clutch.

8. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that furthermore the means for transmitting the energy comprises the association of a roller clutch with at least one selected from the group consisting of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel. impulsion.

9. The feeding mechanism of animals of according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises: a second agitator placed downstream of the first hopper; Y a second means for transport placed on a second rotating shaft within the housing, the second rotating shaft is rotatable independently of the first rotating shaft, wherein the rotational energy imparted by the means for providing the energy rotates the first stirrer and the second agitator regardless of whether the second rotary axis is rotating.

10. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises: a second hopper to receive the food; a second, generally funnel-shaped housing for receiving feed from the second hopper, the second, generally funnel-shaped housing is positioned below the second hopper and is spaced apart from the first generally funnel-shaped housing; a second agitator placed inside the second generally funnel-shaped housing; Y a drive shaft which couples the first stirrer in the first generally funnel-shaped housing to the second stirrer in the second housing in general in Funnel shape

11. An animal feed mechanism for handling food, characterized in that it comprises: a generally funnel-shaped housing within which a stream of food flows; at least one agitator placed for rotation placed substantially within the generally funnel-shaped housing to minimize lumps in the feed stream and to provide vibrational patterns to prevent clogging of the food; at least one auger placed downstream of the first generally funnel-shaped housing to receive the feed stream; at least one energy source for imparting rotational energy to at least one bit; a transmission means for transferring the rotational energy from at least one auger to at least one agitator to rotate at least one agitator.

12. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that the transmission means includes a driven wheel associated with at least one agitator, a driving wheel associated with at least one auger and a driving circuit associated with each of at least one agitator and at least one of at least one of the agitators, and a first roller clutch.

13. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises at least one roller clutch in which the roller clutch is coupled to at least one of an auger.

14. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that at least one agitator comprises a stirrer shaft, a sleeve positioned on the agitator shaft, and a plurality of radial protuberances extending from the first sleeve.

15. An animal feed mechanism for handling food, characterized in that it comprises; a housing for transmitting a stream of food; an agitator generally positioned in the housing for rotation therein to reduce lumps of feed and to increase the uniformity of the feed flow; an auger placed downstream of the housing and the agitator; a source of energy to spin the auger; a transmission medium that associates the auger with the agitator to transmit the rotational energy from the auger to the agitator.

16. The mechanism in accordance with the claim 15, characterized in that in addition it comprises at least one second stirrer, and at least one second bit, the transmission means transfers the rotation of the first bit to the first stirrer, when the first bit is energized and the second bit is energized, the The transmission means transfers the rotation of the second auger to the first agitator, when the second auger is energized and the first auger is energized, the transmission means transfers the rotation of at least one of the first auger and the second auger to the first agitator, when The first auger and the second auger are energized concurrently.

17. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 16, characterized in that the transmission includes at least one roller clutch associated with one of the augers and at least one drive circuit.

18. The animal feeding mechanism according to claim 15, characterized in that the agitator comprises a sleeve having a plurality of protuberances and through which an axis having a first end and a second end is inserted.

19. The feeding mechanism of animals according to claim 15, characterized in that it also comprises: a first roller clutch coupled to the first Auger, the first roller clutch and the first auger are positioned along a first rotational axis; Y a second auger and a second roller clutch coupled to the second auger, the second auger and the second roller clutch are positioned along a second rotational axis; The first roller clutch and the second roller clutch are each associated with a drive circuit.

20. A method for installing the animal feeding mechanism according to claim 18, characterized in that the housing comprises two opposingly placed openings and a lower opening; the first end of the shaft is inserted through the lower opening and one of the oppositely placed openings; the second end of the shaft is threaded through the sleeve and the second oppositely placed opening, and rotatably secured therein.